3 generation genogram example and template

Use this 3 generation genogram example as a template

This example doubles as an editable template. Open it, swap the names, dates, medical conditions, and bonds for your own, and the three-generation layout and symbol conventions stay correct, so you are not redrawing a genogram from scratch. If you would rather start empty, you can create a genogram online free and lay out the three generations yourself.

Want it empty? The blank 3 generation genogram template has the same three rows with role labels instead of names, as PDF, Word and PNG. The genogram key explains every symbol used here.

To read it, look in two directions. Reading down the generations reveals what repeats: a condition or relational pattern that appears at the grandparent level and again in the children is multigenerational transmission, which is why three generations is the clinical minimum. Reading across a sibling row shows how roles and health were distributed, and since each condition is color-coded, a cluster on one branch is easy to spot.

How to make a 3 generation genogram in Genogram Pro

1

Establish the three-generation structure

Start with the identified patient in the middle row. Add parents above and children below to create the vertical backbone, then add grandparents to complete the top row.

2

Add siblings at each generation

For each couple, select a parent and click Add Child in the toolbar. Place children left to right from oldest to youngest. Verify the order matches the family's actual birth order.

3

Attach medical conditions to individuals

Click each person and add relevant medical conditions through the Conditions panel. Choose a color for each condition type to make hereditary tracking visually clear. Colors are customizable per condition.

4

Draw emotional bond lines within and across generations

Select a person, click the Emotional Bond button in the toolbar, then click the target person to set the bond. Draw bonds between spouses, between parents and children, and between siblings. Cross-generational bonds (grandparent to grandchild) are especially important in three-generation genograms.

5

Review vertical and horizontal patterns

Step back and read the completed genogram in both directions. Zoom out to see all three generations at once. Look for conditions, bonds, or roles that repeat vertically or distribute horizontally.

Clinical context

The three-generation genogram comes out of Murray Bowen's family systems theory, which holds that emotional processes transmit across at least three generations, and was formalized as a clinical minimum by McGoldrick and Gerson. It is now standard across family therapy, social work, nursing, and genetic counseling. Apply it with cultural flexibility, and treat what it shows as hypotheses to explore rather than diagnostic conclusions.